Assistant General Counsel - Labor & Employment

Kraken

6d•$146,400 - $292,800•Remote

About The Position

This is a fully remote role for a US-licensed attorney, preferably based on the West Coast, to join Payward’s world-class in-house legal department, reporting to the Global Head of Labor & Employment. The role involves serving as a senior member of the Labor and Employment (L&E) legal team, sharing the day-to-day workload with the Global Head of L&E and the broader team. The position will work with executive leadership, existing employment counsel, Payward Experience (PX), and other teams to develop L&E practices for a rapidly growing global/worldwide workforce. Key responsibilities include advising the company on worker classification, employee separations, executive compensation agreements, compensation plans, wage-and-hour matters, and risk mitigation for trade secret matters and restrictive covenants. The role also supports employment and labor due diligence for M&A transactions, advises on post-closing workforce integration, and provides strategic input on expanding Payward’s global footprint, including EOR and direct employment decisions, global mobility, and contingent workforce matters. Additionally, the role involves crafting policies and procedures, developing training, advising on employee data privacy, supporting workplace investigations, managing outside counsel, and helping to build and refine AI-enabled workflows for the L&E team. The position will also monitor and advise on global L&E trends, particularly within the cryptocurrency industry.

Requirements

10+ years of legal experience advising in the US and other jurisdictions on Employment, Labor, and Executive Compensation issues, to include in-house and law-firm experience working with companies in both high-growth scaling and mature, large-enterprise environments
Broad international Labor and Employment background - law and drafting
Flexibility to work hours that overlap with PX team members and Asia-Pacific colleagues
Experience with due diligence and related ramifications when making acquisitions, including post-closing workforce integration
Experience with compensation plans and with data privacy issues affecting employees and candidates
Active license to practice law in at least one US State, or eligibility to practice as registered in-house counsel
Hands-on proficiency using generative AI tools (such as Claude or ChatGPT) in day-to-day legal work, with sound judgment on verifying outputs and protecting confidentiality, privilege, and personal data
A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset, plus an opportunity-making attitude, using the law to increase the company’s optionality, not decrease it

Nice To Haves

Interest in the crypto industry / what our company is offering to the world and why
Experience in fintech, crypto, or other regulated financial services industries
Experience in Asian and/or Latin American employment markets

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior member of the Labor and Employment (L&E) legal team, sharing the day-to-day workload with the Global Head of L&E and the broader team
Work with executive leadership, existing employment counsel, Payward Experience (PX), and other teams to develop L&E practices for rapidly growing global/worldwide workforce
Advise the company on worker classification issues, employee separations, executive compensation agreements, compensation plans, and wage-and-hour matters
Advise the company on risk mitigation for trade secret matters, and restrictive covenants
Support employment and labor due diligence for M&A transactions and advise on post-closing workforce integration, including harmonizing employment terms, policies, and compensation and benefits programs across acquired employee populations
Provide expert strategic input to the business and recruiting teams on expanding Payward’s global footprint, including EOR and direct employment decisions, transitions between EOR, direct employment, and contractor models for new markets and acquired workforces, global mobility, contingent workforce, and the related worker classification risks
Work closely with the PX team and business leaders to craft on-point policies and procedures, and to develop and deliver related manager and employee training, for a successful global/worldwide workplace
Advise on data privacy issues affecting employees and candidates
Support the PX team with global workplace investigations and employee relations matters involving whistleblower allegations, discrimination, and personnel performance issues
Manage outside counsel on pre-litigation, arbitration, and local-law matters, and coordinate with litigation counsel on employment disputes
Help build and refine AI-enabled workflows for the L&E team, such as contract review, policy drafting, and diligence, and set practical guardrails for their use
Monitor and advise on global L&E trends including those within the cryptocurrency industry to help Company’s competitive adaptability, talent acquisition and retention, and workplace processes
Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned

Benefits

The job posting mentions that applications are accepted on an ongoing basis unless a specific application deadline is stated.
Applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
Payward celebrates the diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions, and unique perspectives that everyone brings to the table.
Hiring is based on merit, seeking out people with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills for the job.
Encouragement to apply for roles where candidates don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if passionate or knowledgeable about crypto.
Candidates may be asked to complete job-related skills or work-style assessments.
Assessments evaluate competencies relevant to the role and are applied consistently across candidates for similar positions.
Results of assessments are considered alongside experience and interviews, and are not the sole basis for any employment decision.
As an equal opportunity employer, discrimination or harassment of any kind is not tolerated.